LIGO, SU physicists detect 1st neutron star collision

Duncan Brown, Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics; Stefan Ballmer, Associate Professor of Physics; John Liu, Vice President of Reserach and Jaysin Lord, host a panel discussion. These men represented the Syracuse Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team who were apart of the discovery of the collision of neutron stars on August 17th. Photo by Deandre Curtis

Duncan Brown, Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics; Stefan Ballmer, Associate Professor of Physics; John Liu, Vice President of Reserach and Jaysin Lord, host a panel discussion. These men represented the Syracuse Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team who were apart of the discovery of the collision of neutron stars on August 17.

Syracuse University Scientist reveal a discovery in the astronomy field during a conference at the Goldstein Auditorium. This discovery marks the first time scientists have detected the collision of neutron stars. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a Joint project involving scientists at MIT, Caltech and Syracuse in addition to many other institutions around the world dedicated to the detection of gravitational waves. The Syracuse LIGO Team was amping the first wave of scientists alerted to the possible detection of the collision and fixed a glitch to help the system locate the source of the explosion. Photo by Deandre Curtis

Chancellor Kent Syverud, provides remarks for attendees of a conference to announce a discovery in the astronomy field. This discovery marks the first time scientists have detected the collision of neutron stars. Photo by Deandre Curtis

Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, provides opening remarks for attendees of a conference to announce a discovery in the astronomy field. This discovery marks the first time scientists have detected the collision of neutron stars. Photo by Deandre Curtis

Photo by Deandre Curtis

Duncan Brown, Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics; Stefan Ballmer, Associate Professor of Physics; John Liu, Vice President of Reserach and Jaysin Lord, host a panel discussion. These men represented the Syracuse Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team who were apart of the discovery of the collision of neutron stars on August 17th. Photo by Deandre Curtis

The announcement was made via simulcast in Goldstein Auditorium, where attendees listened to NSF Director France Córdova and Dr. Dave Reitze speak from Washington, D.C.

On Aug. 17, scientists “heard” gravitational waves given off by the collision of two neutron stars. Combining the resources of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo detectors, scientists were able to hone in on the likely source of the waves. After training powerful telescopes, like NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, on that location, scientists observed the radioactive afterglow of the collision.

"If we were to compare all the knowledge in existence to an ocean, then what we currently possess is but a drop."

Jaysin Lord

Neutron stars are the smallest, densest stars. A typical neutron star has a diameter about that of Manhattan, or 12.5 miles. These neutron stars are the collapsed cores of exploded suns, also known as supernovas.

Prior to the discovery, scientists had only speculated about the creation of the periodic table’s heaviest elements, like gold and platinum. These heavy elements necessitate a rapid infusion of neutrons, and scientists originally believed supernovas were the source of this process. But evidence recently pointed to colliding neutron stars instead.

At the panel discussion Monday, SU contributors Duncan Brown, Stefan Ballmer, John Liu and Jaysin Lord answered questions about the discovery. Brown, the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics, said neutron star collisions are more frequent than those of black holes but weaker and more difficult to detect.

Speaking to local high school students who were in attendance, Lord, a recent SU graduate who helped with the project, said this historic announcement is just the beginning of discovery.

“We understand the world from a very macro perspective all the way down to an atomic one,” Lord said. “If we were to compare all the knowledge in existence to an ocean, then what we currently possess is but a drop.”

Photo by Deandre Curtis

Duncan Brown, Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics; Stefan Ballmer, Associate Professor of Physics; John Liu, Vice President of Reserach and Jaysin Lord, host a panel discussion. These men represented the Syracuse Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team who were apart of the discovery of the collision of neutron stars on August 17th.

Chancellor Kent Syverud also addressed the audience, pointing out that in February 2016 SU was part of the worldwide announcement made by LIGO and Virgo teams when gravitational waves were confirmed for the first time. This Nobel Prize-winning discovery was made by observing the merge of two black holes.

Syverud recalled a question asked that day about what scientists expected to discover next and what implications the discovery had on fields other than physics.

“On February 11th, 2016, Professor Duncan Brown answered those questions,” Syverud said. “What he basically said was this: ‘We don’t know what gravitational waves will enable us to observe. But we know it will be full of wonders and we know it will have implications way beyond physics and astronomy.’ Today, 20 months later, on October 16th, 2017, Duncan Brown has been proved right.”

Ballmer, an associate professor of physics and a key member of the team that designed and built the Advanced LIGO detectors, called this discovery “tremendously gratifying.”

As Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said: “The future is only the beginning.”